Grant JonesThe concept of time in Hip-Hop seems to be a timeless endeavour, to the point where it could be argued every album we cover is about time in some way or other. The most notable example is Nas’ whole back catalogue, but every emcee is either looking forward or backwards. The luxury of writing for an independent publication means there’s less inclination to be there on the day a record releases with an opinion – these things take time. The rise of YouTuber reactors and three-word reviews on social media ensures there is less patience than ever, and a sweaty rap nerd rocking up six months late with an underwhelming essay isn’t likely to change the mind of the TikTok generation with his ramblings. Nonetheless, writing remains one of life’s last joys before the AI apocalypse sucks us all into its vortex, if it hasn’t already consumed all of our reviews already. The problem with this AI bubble we are in right now, is that the whole promise of AI is that it means things don’t take time. What these tech bros fail to realise is that passion, knowledge, nuance, context and emotion all take time. Life is about the time you have on this planet, not about getting an output as fast as possible. Many of us enjoy the process, and in the case of New York emcee Fresh Daily, he’s here to remind us why good Hip-Hop takes time too.
This is the first album I’ve heard from Fresh Daily since the days of Spine Magazine. Who remembers that website? Just us with the bad backs? He first came to my attention with the track “Videogaming”, which heavily benefitted from a stonking hook that sampled Biggie Smalls’ iconic “Super Nintendo Sega Genesis” line from “Juicy”. These days, that line feels overused, but in 2008? It felt fresh. I hadn’t really paid much attention to his solo projects, and that’s on me, but he is back in 2025 with French producer Parental, most famous for his seemingly endless series of collaborations with underground artists like Awon, Pete Flux and Moka Only. He’s even got a project with Edo G releasing later this month.
Daily has been working consistently over the last twenty years, and “These Things Take Time” sounds like it’s the culmination of all this work and experience, utilising Parental’s style of production that is warmly nostalgic and ideal for telling stories. Any gamer wishing for another “Videogaming” will appreciate the inclusion of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time sound effects on the song “These Things Take Time”:
“Perennial” is blessed by John Robinson and a lovely vocal assist by Kelly Moonstone and might be the best song on offer. Conceptually, it is rooted in nature, and Parental transports the listener into the greenest woods (the Kokiri Forest perhaps?) despite continuing to clatter your ears with heavy snares.
“They say a tree grow in Brooklyn
Now look and see what it took for a seed to sprout leaves without seeing a bookings
I grew to be a myrtle tree from Myrtle Ave
Wasn’t fertile ground, it was a burdened path
Certainly, each limb reach new friends who hadn’t heard of me
Every hurt I ever endured felt like a surgery
But pruning a tree in an emergency
Allows for the flourishing of fruit for the nourishin’
High tides and courtesy, that only comes with age
’cause when your mind’s a currency you’re workin’ like a slave
Tomorrow never occurred to me, I was turnin’ every age
to keep from goin’ murder spree, I’m burnin’ all the sage
trying to stay rooted as I’m learning every stage
whether tree or human I’m still using up my space
in this universe, I’m expanding as I grow
suttin you never see if you standing at a show
Not who I used to be, I’m demanding so much more
That’s land, that’s cars, that’s brands
That’s cash in advance
That’s fans, like goddamn that’s bars, be raw
That’s all”
Another favourite is “Plaid Patterns”, which sees Awon and Debonair P, two familiar artists to any boom bap revivalist, give Daily some welcome energy at the halfway point. It sees Daily documenting his travels around the world, tying it back to the theme of time with lines like “change my watch when I’m in London”. “Glowed Up” is added in as a bonus, which starts as if Prodigy and Havoc are here for a tour of Queensbridge projects, but shifts into a wickedly catchy number about profound and positive personal transformation. Do you remember Shawn Jackson’s “Feelin’ Jack” from all the way back in 2008? A dope beat and a hypnotic hook can do a lot of the heavy lifting, elevating some largely ordinary rhymes. The same applies here. I had no idea 2008 left such an impression on me, but it’s great to hear Fresh Daily is still active, and more importantly, crafting quality Hip-Hop.
“Nightvibes” permits you to go cruising in the early hours, although it’s a bizarre choice for the introductory song. Suitably laid-back, it’s the perfect wind-down moment that proves itself in instrumental form once the album is finished. All instrumentals are included, which is usually the sign of a producer knowing budding emcees will want to kick some rhymes over their fat beats. DJs will also be happy to craft a remix or two.
“Derek Jeter” has the ingredients to fall under this same category, but maybe I’ve simply outgrown rapping about rapping, as I thought the two verses were nothing special. As much as I wanted to lavish further praise on “These Things Take Time”, it does fall short of greatness by playing it too safe. Daily’s storytelling is solid at its most explicit, and the best tracks play to these strengths. “Gone Off” feels too much like two buddies kicking rhymes for fun – I just lost interest in it after the first listen. The same applies to “Take It Personal” – inevitably compared to Gang Starr’s classic – it lacks the memorable lines or thematic cohesion of Guru, or any other interesting selection of verbal attacks. It’s one of the most pleasant instrumentals on the project, and Daily’s friendly presence doesn’t convince when he’s threatening, “Trust, I won’t be merciful”.
Minor inconsistencies aside, it’s difficult not to accept how easy this album is to listen to. Perhaps I was spoilt by my early exposure to Fresh Daily’s music – he can be a great storyteller, possessing a warm, enduring personality that means he’s not just another rapper spitting over modern boom bap, but “These Things Take Time” is sometimes susceptible to those very same shortcomings. A few skips don’t stop this from being a recommendation, though, because “Glowed Up”, “Perennial”, “These Things Take Time”, “Nightvibes” and “Plaid Patterns” are all excellent showcases of the chemistry Fresh Daily and Parental clearly have together.